Enhancing postharvest storage life of pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.) fruits with edible coatings

In the present investigation the effectiveness of two edible coatings viz. Carnauba wax and chitosan on postharvest storage behaviour of pointed gourd fruits was evaluated under ambient storage conditions (temperature 27.4-32.3°C and 70-81% RH). There were seven treatments, replicated thrice and experiment was laid out in completely randomized design. The fruits treated with 1.0% Carnauba wax gained highest sensory score (7.33). The physiological loss of weight in Carnauba wax treated fruits remained lower (0.63%) than the chitosan coated fruits. The minimum spoilage (3.08%) was also reported in 1.0%Carnauba wax. The highest disease reduction index of 83.98 was recorded in 1.0% Carnauba wax. The highest retention of total chlorophyll (5.89 mg/g) was recorded in 1.0% Carnauba wax and lowest in chitosan treated fruits at the end of storage period. Thus, among the two coating materials, Carnauba wax has the potential to extend storage life and preserve other quality attributes.